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Mantas Kalnietis, the versatile point guard who played at the Nets free agent mini-camp last week, will not be coming back to the US for the Summer League. Not for the Nets, or anybody.
Mantas Kalnietis will not play in the NBA Summer League and will instead join the Lithuanian national team training camp from day one.
— Simonas Baranauskas (@LithuaniaBasket) June 13, 2014
Kalnietis was becoming an interesting name around the Nets and their summer league plans. The Lithuanian guard's agent had said that Kalnietis had a summer league invite from Brooklyn, but would likely turn it down. "The Summer League invite by the Nets shows that chances of making NBA are realistic. The main questions would be regarding money," he was quoted as saying.
There was no formal word from the Nets side about the agent's remarks, but league sources told NetsDaily that the Nets had not extended a summer league invitation to Kalnietis.
Kalnietis has a year reamining on his contract with a Russian team, Lokomotiv Kuban. Lokomotiv's president said Kalnietis did not have a buyout clause in his contract, but the club would listen to offers if an NBA team called. The Nets could only contribute $530,000 towards a buyout. Kalnietis' contract with his Russian club expires next year, leaving him free to pursue the NBA.
Kalnietis will play in the FIBA World Cup in Spain starting August 30, when he may go up against Jorge Gutierrez of Mexico, the Nets' third string point guard. Gutierrez has said he hopes to play in the Worlds.